FFWD Weekly
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by Maureen McNameedv8 urban street festival
July 29 and 30
Olympic PlazaAn innovative experiment that turned Olympic Plaza into a showcase for counter-culture sports and music for two days last year met with such enthusiasm from athletes and the public that it’s expanding. Not only will Molson Canadian bring the DV8 Urban Street Festival – along with 100 tonnes of snow – back to Calgary this weekend, they’re also taking the show on the road to Saskatoon and Ottawa.
Alison Gardiner of Molson Canada says hundreds of people, ranging from young children to adults over 50, took in the sights and sounds of last year’s event.
"It was sort of a test venture to see how things went and we chose a great test site because the response was great," she says.
"...It’s a great opportunity to showcase something that is very Canadian."
She adds that while a lot of the athletes who participate are getting good exposure in the U.S., they don’t get the same attention in Canada.
"With this we can bring it to the masses right downtown."
For the hometown athletes, it’s not just about getting recognition in Canada – it’s also a chance to compete in front of family and friends.
Calgary snowboarder Justin Lamoureux, a member of the Canadian National Snowboard Team, competed in the DV8 last year and is excited to return. He spends the vast majority of the winter travelling to competitions across North America, and heads to Whistler, B.C. for the summer, so he looks forward to the rare opportunity to compete in Calgary – and not just at a local ski hill, but right in the city.
"It’s fun to be at home and to get to go and show off," he says, adding that some parents have never seen their kids compete before.
"It gives the older parents a better outlook, maybe, on their sons and daughters participating in their sports."
Mike Prangnell, a skateboarder from Moncton, N.B. who is currently living in Vancouver, says it’s an important opportunity to expose a wider audience to the sports and possibly attract new riders.
"For the sport, it’s good chance for the general public to take a look at it," he explains.
DV8 takes place at Olympic Plaza and in front of the Municipal Building, where the main attraction is a 60-foot high quarter-pipe covered with snow and highlighting the exploits of some of North America’s best snowboarders and freeskiers. The festival also features: a vert ramp and street course for BMX bikes, skateboards and in-line blades; a stage for international and local bands and DJs; and a Lifestyle Village of displays, products and interactive games.
This year the amount of cash up for grabs has also grown, with a total $50,000 being awarded to the winners of various "super session" held throughout the weekend in each sport.
Aside from the chance to make some extra cash in the summer – when snowboarding events are few and far between – Lamoureux says DV8 is appealing because there is no other event of its kind.
"For snowboarding it’s a really different scene – it’s downtown in the middle of summer," he explains. "My friends that missed it last year were really disappointed."
Prangnell adds that the relaxed nature of the event attracts the athletes and encourages them to try new tricks.
"It’s just more festive and you can have fun. You’re judged by your peers instead of having to please a group of judges...," he explains.
"The reason I came back is the atmosphere."
The end result, Lamoureux says, is that the crowd and the riders start feeding off each other, so the audience gets a really good show.
DV8 is an invitational competition, and Gardiner has top riders lined up for Calgary as well as Saskatoon and Ottawa, where the event will be held in September.
She says that Molson Canadian wants DV8 to become a permanent event and to continue expanding to other urban centres – and so do the athletes.
"If they keep doing it for the next few years, I think it’s going to become a really big, world-class competition," says Prangnell.
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